The article exploded onto the interwebs early yesterday, but I held off posting it for a couple of reasons. One being that this ongoing saga is sometimes a bit too much to handle; let's face it, who can recall there being this much drama in the Bon Jovi world? Maybe the burnout following the Jersey Syndicate tour, which I'm too young to remember, but that was pre-social media when everything could be conducted behind closed doors. Secondly, I don't know how much one can trust the UK tabloids (and there were several typos in that Daily Mail article), but if they were going as far as to manufacture quotes, then surely Richie would have to speak up at last? I was hopeful he might actually say something to ease our minds or at least answer some questions.

Instead he tweeted this...

Just to be clear,I've been running the fashion company for 5 Yrs. It does not take me away from the band,I'm an artist first. Always will be

... without denying any of the quotes attributed to him. Does that mean one can assume the gloves are well and truly off? Or maybe Richie's just taking the piss now, if he wasn't already. After all, he sees what people have been saying about the situation on Twitter, etc but chooses to tweet asinine things that don't address anyone's real concerns.

What saddens me is how it's turned into Jon vs Richie, not just between the men themselves (if that is indeed what is going on, since we still don't really know any more than we did on April 2) but between their fans. To be fair, there has been an element of this for years. Fans discontent with Bon Jovi's recent musical output have, at various times sought to blame "CEO Jon" for turning Bon Jovi into a greedy moneymaking machine at the expense of the art and accused him of forcing Richie to play uninspired pop instead of showing off his true guitar-playing talent.

As someone who's never been "pro-Jon" or "pro-Richie" -- just a fan of the band and supporter of its members' outside projects -- I can't say I agree with that assessment. Sure, What About Now is about as close to a JBJ solo album as you'll get without having "Jon Bon Jovi" printed on the front cover, but Richie had as much to do with the direction Bon Jovi had taken over the decade or so prior to that. I very much doubt Jon was standing over Richie forbidding him to play any complicated solos, for instance. And maybe Richie did find his "artistic soul" while making Aftermath of the Lowdown and decided the Bon Jovi machine was not for him right now -- that suggestion has been made several times and it's as plausible a reason as any for his continued absence. But if that's the case, he should have put his foot down before the tour began. Walking out the day of a show when tens of thousands of fans have purchased tickets, even if it's to "fight for the art" or because "he's sick of Jon's crap" doesn't make him a hero (IF that is what has happened; like I said, we know zilch).

SPIEGEL: "On your new record you sing about a punk rocker, who is crying after the legendary Club CBGB's, about a journalist, whose paper has closed down..."

Bon Jovi: "...and of a factory worker, whose factory was outsourced to Asia, yes. That is the social and cultural reality in our country."

SPIEGEL: "But what do you have to do with that? You are in a matter of speaking the CEO of one of the most successful companies in the entertainment business and for sure no poor man."

Bon Jovi: "How can a rich man sing about the problems of a poor man?"

SPIEGEL: "That's what I would like to know from you."

Bon Jovi: "Nobody would care for the worries of a rich man, particularly his worries are rather laughable compared to those of an unemployed man. That is not my task either. I tell stories, this is my job: to tell believable stories about things with which my audience can relate to. Do I need to be a punk rocker to sing about punk rock? I don't think so. My grandparents were poor people, who had to work hard, my parents have worked hard, and my brothers don't have any money even today, they have debts! So I do know what I am talking about pretty well. And when I sing about washing the dishes that is more than a metaphor too. Because I really wash the dishes, when I am in the kitchen of my restaurant."

SPIEGEL: "And how long is it supposed to go on like this? Just now your guitarist Richie Sambora has left the band."

Bon Jovi: "I believe it's not gonna last very long anymore for us either. My management doesn't like it, but I thought recently: People, we now are where artists like Elton John and Eric Clapton have been before. Not, that they still aren't great musicians still today, but I think we have reached the highest point of our journey. It might be that we are going to go downwards from now on. Not that I wouldn't like to earn more money, but at 70, like the Stones, I really don't wanna do this job anymore."

SPIEGEL: "So what's next then? "Bon Jovi - the musical"? You would have the hits for this."

Bon Jovi: "True, there even has been an offer for that not long ago already. If you meant that as an insult, I cannot take it like that. I mean, ABBA have earned more money with "Mamma Mia" than with all their records in the past. Without this musical nobody in the USA would know anymore who ABBA were. So if somebody wants to write the story for it and bring our songs to Broadway - do it!"

Well, they do have one half of a Tony Award-winning duo in the band in David Bryan...

Anyway, I have tickets to see Bon Jovi (whichever lineup is in Australia) in December and unless something dramatically positive happens, I'm guessing that will be it from the band for a while... Very little seems to have gone to plan on this tour. If this is indeed the end, it's a shame it had to be like this after 30 years.

5 comments:

It is a little sad. They're both taking pot shots at the other- JBJ's is a little more understandable- RS just seems immature. Truly I'm not feeling sorry for either one; I live in reality and have a hard time working up much sympathy for two millionaires fighting over a so-so album anyway. Saw them in Denver and it was a great show, truly. I have tixs to see them in NJ- if RS isn't there- than I'll believe it could be like the 90s...an extended hiatus- but never really the same.

Ok. Richie finally came out with what we all really thought. He's pissed. All those stupid tweets about everything being great, blah, blah. I don't think Jon has been "trash talking" about Richie. He is answering questions because he is on tour, facing the public instead of working on a "fashion" line. Come on! (Besides, it is Jon's band, they work for him). I loved Richie in the band but I am fed up with him and all this "poor Richie" stuff. Man up and quit if you are unhappy, don't try to punish Jon through us Where would you be without him. Back in bars in NJ.. I'll continue to see and follow the band, love the music, and enjoy PhilX (if he stays). Thanks LeAnn

If Richie didn't think Jon was finally going to get tired of fielding the questions and being blamed in the media for his treatment of him...then he is more off the wall than the dumb tweets he sends. Is this sad? Yes. However, they are not the first band to go down this road.I read an interesting interview with Don Felder, former guitarist with the Eagles on the Ultimate Rock website http://bit.ly/14VmF1zI am sure this can lead to much insight into the Bon Jovi issues.I for one am enjoying Phil and perhaps if he stays in the picture he might influence more rock n roll.

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Live your life. Stand your ground. Blame It On The Love is a blog that aims to capture the essence of being a diehard (but not blind) fan of the world's most commercially successful unfashionable band: Bon Jovi.